Congressman Paul A. Gosar | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Paul A. Gosar | Official U.S. House headshot
August 25, 2024
Customs and Border Protection data revealed that over 104,116 illegal immigrants crossed the southern border in July. This number represents a significant increase from previous years, with border crossings consistently surpassing those recorded during Donald Trump's presidency. The data shows a 122 percent increase from the average number of July crossings under Trump. Since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, more than 13 million illegal aliens have crossed the border, including an estimated 1.9 million "gotaways" who evaded capture.
In addition to the influx of illegal immigrants, nearly 2,800 pounds of fentanyl and over 9,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized at the border in July alone. These quantities represent potentially lethal doses for millions of people. Since January 2021, approximately 32 tons of fentanyl have been intercepted at the southern border.
Critics attribute these developments to policy changes by the Biden-Harris administration. In their first 100 days, President Biden and Vice President Harris enacted over 94 executive actions on immigration, including halting construction of the border wall and ending the "Remain in Mexico" policy. By their third year in office, they had issued 535 immigration-related executive actions.
The financial impact of what some are calling a "border crisis" is significant as well. Estimates suggest it costs U.S. taxpayers around $150.7 billion annually. Additionally, a recent report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General noted that about 300,000 migrant children are unaccounted for under current policies.
Andrew Arthur from the Center for Immigration Studies commented on these issues: “When Biden and Harris took office all safeguards put in place by President Trump were removed.”
In other news related to immigration and border security, former President Trump visited Arizona this week to tour the southern border and promised stringent measures if re-elected.
On Capitol Hill, House Committees released a report detailing allegations against Joe Biden related to foreign payments totaling over $27 million since 2014. The report accuses Biden of using his office for personal gain through his son Hunter Biden's business dealings.
Separately, revised job numbers from April 2023 to March 2024 indicate that nearly one million fewer jobs were added than previously reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In local news involving Congressman Gosar’s team activities:
- The Kingman Veteran Treatment Court Graduation Ceremony honored two graduates with Congressional recognition.
- The Together with Veterans Resource Center held an open house event focused on preventing veteran suicides.
Congressman Gosar also addressed several constituent letters concerning social security benefits assistance and concerns about legislative processes and voter registration issues.
Alerts Sign-up